Sarah Richardson's Cottage Makeover

Sarah Richardson, interior designer and host of HGTV's Sarah's House, traces the evolution of her family's cozy summer cottage, explaining every step along the way. "I wanted instant history – as if the home had been assembled over time."

Kitchen-Dining Area

Kitchen-Dining Area

The cabin's open floor plan presented Richardson with a challenge common in new houses: how to carve distinct zones – in this case, a kitchen, a dining area, and a comfy lounging spot – from one cavernous great room, while still preserving visual flow. Her solution? A shared color scheme. "I've long collected ceramics in blue and green," she said. Once Richardson found a cache of old blue barn wood, she was off and running.

Kitchen-Dining Area

Kitchen-Dining Area

Starting Point: Richardson installed the weathered blue boards on the kitchen island – which faces out toward the rest of the room – then framed the salvaged planks with new lumber, painted in Benjamin Moore's Wedgewood Gray.